Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-08-27
TIE HINDOO WIFE. g
HOW THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE
 IS MADE TO RUN SMOOTH.
The Present Condition of the Hindoo Widow Not Heretofore Correctly Repre- sented-Rule of the Mother-Piety and the Bath-Use of oil.


 the Bath-Use of oil.
 One Of my newspapers lately contained a short article from The London Standard, en- titled ~Hindoo Child Marriage It described as pltiable the lifelong state of the Hindoo widow, who had never been more than a brlde, her some years nominal husband hay ing died when she was a little girl. 4 Bengali or Calcutta, university graduate. and wealthy mefnber Of society, on reading 1t says thai It IS strongly put, and moreover applies 10 condition many years passed by; that the hindoo widow apart and accursed, her hair short or shaved wholly, in coarse and often squald. garments, her instincts starved into hamilton by constant fasts. silent, shunned, stiff, disigured object, and often hideously bald, forbidden all hope of Joy, has some foundation, but it k intensi- fled, exaggerated, of even her condition fifty years ago
 Sue fasts frequently, at stated days She wears no colorS, but that makes little differ ence, as the present mode in Bengal dresses every lady of respectable rank in white, ex- cept that on the edge Of her two wrappings there Is narrow line, gold, pink, crimson, etc, the widows robe being only distinguished by the absence Of that outer line or thread of color. She becomes interested in the children around her in the house. Sho Is often a favorite, and she has busy and useful place in the Hndoo family
 THE MOTHERS RULE.
 A sapient Brahman joined the conversation barely by saying, They have hberty,r as eontraSted to the restrictions and the obeiient condition of wifely women. So long. how sNs. subservient Sons stay at home, living with the parents. Daughters thus lea ge their own parents as soon us they are old enough to take the position of wives, the matrimonial VOWS and obligations having been mnde in child hood
 The oldest mother in the household con- hnues to be the highest social monarch in tho bouse-the deSpOtic dictator. to whom all the family conventionally pays ceremOnIous def rence.
 This Bensah gentleman, J2 years old and he father of six children, from the prompt ngs of happy experience gave a glowing sulogy upon the Hindoo social system. The Hindoo pair, having been selected by adult Judgment, begin acquaintances as playmates. grow into friends, ripen into lovers. and be- some, as they were prcdestined, consorts. It k case in which the course of true loyo runs smooth, and he considers it a most TO- mautic career. He tells me that the home hfe of HiEdOO women has little or nothing in sllectual or scholarly, but that it Is very rich in the affections. From carly morning III tho time they are busy in supervision of lhe management of the little ones and in pro- vision for the comfort and the food of all
 Pious duties and the baths, two never neg lectej items, occupy no insignificant portion of the day. This mother, a lady of G5 years. lasts often because she is a widow. has bathed twice day all her life and is in ex- ssllent health. The usual bath, whether in rrssm or in the house, is merely pouring If water over and over the body, mostly on the shoullers. Any other sort of washing of the person they don't seem to consider "a bath"